False: Salman Rushdie made anti-Islam statements and warned people against Muslims.

By: Rahul Adhikari
February 9 2023

Share Article:

Context

Indian-born author and Booker Prize recipient Salman Rushdie has been in the news after he published his latest novel 'Victory City' on February 7. The renowned author has found himself in the middle of controversy several times as his novels deal with sensitive themes, including religion and history. After his new book's publication, Rushdie became a trending topic on social media. On February 7, a social media user shared a tweet claiming that the author made statements against Islam and warned other religions and cultures. The tweet features a card with the novelist's photo and a quote that reads, "The large majority of peaceful Muslims don't matter because I was attacked by just one Muslim who followed the Quran. All religions are not the same because they have not codified death to whoever doesn't belong in their religion. On my life, I want to warn the world that Islam will not rest till every society, culture, and religion is either annihilated or converted." (sic) 

The quote is being shared in the context of the attack on him in New York in August last year.

In Fact

No news reports between August 2022 and February 2023 prove that Rushdie has made any such anti-Islam statements.

Further, Rushdie took to Twitter to clarify that the quote had been falsely attributed to him. Replying to the viral post, the author wrote, "Fake quote. Not said by me."

According to an interview with The New Yorker, Rushdie said he blamed only the knife-wielding accused, for the attack. On being asked if he blames anyone else, Rushdie said, "I think it's not a good look. One of the ways I've dealt with this whole thing is to look forward and not backwards." While the author survived the attack by a 24-year-old man, he was left blind in one eye and with nerve damage in his left hand.

Rushdie's work has been considered controversial several times. His novel 'The Satanic Verses' was banned in Iran in 1988, and a fatwa was issued against Rushdie by Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989. In 1998, Iran's then-president said that the nation no longer supported the call for Rushdie's death, but the author has continued to be on the receiving end of death threats and the focus of bounties, according to The Indian Express.

The Verdict

Salman Rushdie did not make the anti-Islam statements attributed to him on social media. The author himself refuted the claim. Therefore, we have marked the claim as false.